Biomed waste treatment firm served notice

The Times of India , Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Correspondent : TNN
Kolhapur: The civic body-appointed firm to treat biomedical waste (BMW) has evaded the monthly royalty fees to be paid to the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) for the past one year.

The KMC has issued a show-cause notice to the firm, Nature in Need, for failing to pay Rs 1.08 lakh as monthly royalty fee. The civic body told the firm to pay the fee in the next 15 days. The civic body terminated the firm in May 2014 and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked the civic administration to continue with the same firm till a new one was appointed.

The KMC had signed an agreement with the firm in 2013 and the royalty fee of Rs 1.08 lakh was fixed. The firm had to pay the fee on a monthly basis to the civic body to use the plot of land to set up a waste treatment unit.

Vijay Ptil, the KMC's chief sanitation inspector, said, "The firm has not paid the royalty amount for the last one year. We have issued notices to the firm, asking operators to pay the royalty fee in the next 15 days. If the firm fails to pay the fine, we will approach the NGT."

The civic body is facing a tough task to take action against the firm as it is struggling to find an alternative system. Several medical practitioners have also complained about the quality of the firm's services. The firm is also allegedly charging an exorbitant amount to provide the service of collecting, transporting and treating waste.

Civic officials have also found that the firm's treatment measures are of poor quality. For instance, the use of improper chemicals and fuel to incinerate biomedical waste is leading to air pollution. As the incineration plant is located at Kasbabawda, residents have complained to the KMC that the process takes place at nights and the plant is closed during the day.

"We have finalised a tender from an Ichalkaranji-based firm, S S Enterprises. We will transfer a one-acre land to the firm to establish the plant. However, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has rejected our demand to transport the waste to the Ichalkaranji plant, despite the fact that there is no harm in transporting the waste at the site as it is located just 26km away from the city. We will again apply for permission from the board as we don't want the earlier firm to continue," Patil said.

The new firm finalised for biomedical waste treatment facility was treating the waste for a short contractual period of around nine months before Nature in Need was appointed. They therefore have the experience of treating the waste before. The city generates over one tonne of biomedical waste every day as per the primary estimates. The civic administration will first determine the actual quantum of generated waste before signing an agreement with the new firm.

There are over 650 clinical establishments in the city with a capacity of 500 as well as 50-200 beds and other smaller units including blood banks and nursing homes. These establishments generate around a tonne of biomedical waste and are charged anything between Rs 500-1,200 depending on the number of beds.

No official from Nature in Need was available for the comment.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolhapur/Biomed-waste-treatment-firm-served-notice/articleshow/52426871.cms
 


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